Auxiliary device for sealing cans for beverages

ABSTRACT

An auxiliary device for sealing cans for beverages, of the type having a disposable opener mechanism, is shaped as a tubular element (9) which tapers off from a comparatively wide collar (7) to a narrower spout portion (8) and which, adjacent the collar, comprises means for snapping the collar on to the can. A locking ring (18) is arranged to cooperate with the collar (7) of the auxiliary device and serves, after snapping the collar on to the can, to clamp the collar to the can. The locking ring is connected to the auxiliary device via a connection which is formed by a tongue (13) on the auxiliary device and a slot in the locking ring, thereby permitting the locking ring to accompany the auxiliary device.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an auxiliary device for sealing cansfor beverages or the like, of the type having on an end wall adisposable opener mechanism, i.e. a mechanism which after uncovering anopening in the end wall does not permit resealing thereof, the auxiliarydevice having the form of a tubular element which tapers off from acomparatively wide collar to a narrower spout portion and which,adjacent the collar, comprises means for snapping the auxiliary deviceon to the opening end of the can, preferably to an annular elementdefining the end wall and, in the area of the spout portion, comprisesmeans, e.g. a cap, permitting both closing and opening of the spoutportion as desired.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

An auxiliary device of the type generally described above is disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,192. A similar auxiliary device is also disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,257.

Contradictory demands are placed on such auxiliary devices for cans. Onthe one hand, the collar of the auxiliary device, which should besnapped on to one end of the can, particularly to the annular elementwhich in most cases defines the can end wall, should be designed to havesuch a close fit relative to the can end or the annular element that theauxiliary device, when applied, is firmly fixed to the can so as towithstand any excess pressure arising in the interior which is common tothe can and the auxiliary device. In cans with carbonated beveragesthere is always a certain excess pressure which can become comparativelyhigh if the can is subjected to shaking or impacts. The auxiliary deviceneeds to be firmly fixed to the can also for the reason that it shouldnot be unintentionally detached from its applied position by some simplemechanical action. On the other hand, it should be possible tointentionally fix the auxiliary device to the can and detach ittherefrom, without applying extremely great forces, since otherwise theauxiliary device will be considered too complicated to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims at eliminating the above-mentioned problemsin prior-art can auxiliary devices and providing such a device which canbe applied to and intentionally be detached from cans in a smooth andeasy and also quick manner, at the same time as it can be firmlyretained on the can when used. The main object of the invention istherefore to provide a can auxiliary device which is reliably retainablewhen used and easily detachable when intentionally removed and which canbe repeatedly used for different cans. A further object is to enablemanufacture of the auxiliary device by simple and inexpensive means.

At least the main object of the invention is achieved by means of thefeatures defined in the characterising clause of claim 1. Preferredembodiments of the invention are recited in claims 2-7.

Further Description of the Prior Art

GB 1,378,591 discloses a cap which is intended for bottles and isretained in its sealing state on the bottleneck by means of an externallocking ring which, in the bottling procedure, is pressed down along acollar-shaped skirt of the cap for the purpose of snapping or clamping athickened portion on to the lower edge of the cap skirt in the areabelow a shoulder on the bottleneck. Even if GB 1,378,591 mentions thepossibility of using said ring repeatedly, after opening thebottle--which can be carried out only after tearing off a specialsecuring element--this is a disposable cap construction in so far as itis not intended for use on other bottles than the one to which it wasinitially applied. In this prior-art cap construction, there is noconnection which enables pivoting of the locking ring between thelocking and unlocking positions. It is therefore necessary for the ringto be pressed down in parallel with the cap, which is difficult to carryout manually if re-use is considered.

Moreover, NO 107,742 discloses a disposable cap with a special lockingring which, when pressed down to the lower portion of a cap skirt,presses this portion into the area below a shoulder on the bottleneck.However, when removing the cap, the locking ring bursts and,consequently, cannot be re-used at all.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

In the drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a can auxiliary device according to thepresent invention,

FIGS. 2-4 are side views of the auxiliary device in FIG. 1, applied to abeverage can, the auxiliary device being illustrated in three differentfunctional positions,

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the actual auxiliary device,

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a locking ring of the auxiliary device,shown separately,

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the auxiliary device and the locking ring,

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view along the line VIII--VIII in FIG. 7, ona large scale, and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view along the line IX--IX in FIG. 7, on alarger scale, the locking ring being separated from the auxiliarydevice.

FIGS. 1-4 illustrate an auxiliary device generally designated 1 andintended to be applied to beer or soft drink cans designated 2 andcomprising, in a manner known per se, a cylindrical main portion 3 andtwo opposite end walls of which only one is shown in FIGS. 2-4 and isdesignated 4. In practice, the can is made of thin metal sheet,particularly sheet aluminium. The upper end wall 4 is mounted by meansof annular element 5 after filling of the can. The annular element 5 isplaced at the upper end of a transition portion 6 in the form of atruncated cone. The upper end wall 4 further comprises an openermechanism (not shown) by means of which an opening in the end wall canbe uncovered. The opener mechanism is disposable, i.e. it does notpermit resealing of the opening once made.

The actual auxiliary device 1 is shaped as a tubular element whichtapers off from a comparatively wide collar 7 to a narrower spoutportion 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the tapering off occurs via aportion 9 in the form of a truncated cone. The spout portion 8 is fittedwith a cap 10 connected with the spout portion via a strip 12 which isintegrated with a ring 11. The cap is attachable to the spout portionvia a prior art or arbitrary snap-on connection. Instead of precisely asnap-on cap, it is possible to use other sealing means, for examplescrew caps of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,192.

From the outside of the collar 7, there projects a tongue 13 (see alsoFIG. 8) which is operable by the user's fingers, both when applying theauxiliary device to a can and when detaching it therefrom.

As seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, the inside of the collar 7 is formed with athickened portion 14 having a lower, annular flat surface 15 which formsan abutment engaging the annular element 5 of the can and determiningthe vertical position of the auxiliary device 1 relative to the can. Theinside of the collar is also formed with a lower, truncatedly conicallyshaped surface 16 connecting with the truncatedly conical shape of thetransition portion 6. Between the surface 16 and the abutment surface15, the inside of the collar is formed with a groove 17 into which theannular element 5 of the can engages after snapping the auxiliary device1 on to the can. In actual practice, the auxiliary device is made ofplastic which, because of its inherent elasticity, permits said snappingon.

As described so far, the illustrated can auxiliary device is in everyessential respect disclosed in e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,192.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, the auxiliary device 1 is associated with aparticular locking ring 18 which is connected to the collar 17 to beable to accompany the auxiliary device whether this is applied to thecan or not. The connection between the locking ring and the auxiliarydevice is established by the locking ring being formed with a slot 19(see FIGS. 6 and 8) whose circumferential extent is at least as great asthe circumferential extent of the gripping tongue 13 (e.g. in the rangeof 70°-80°), the tongue 13 being caused to engage the slot. One side ofthe tongue 13 can be formed with a suitably wart-like projection 20spaced from the essentially cylindrical, outer circumferential surface21 of the collar 7. More precisely, the distance between the projection20 and the circumferential surface 21 of the collar is about as great asthe thickness of the locking ring 18. The projection 20 will thereforeestablish reliable retaining of the locking ring in connection with theauxiliary device. The side of the locking ring opposite the slot 19 isformed with a gripping tongue 22 similar to the tongue 13 of theauxiliary device. In practice, the ring 18 is--like the auxiliary device1--made of plastic having at least some inherent elasticity. The ring isessentially cylinder-shaped, defined by external and internal,essentially cylindrical surfaces 23 and 24, respectively (see FIG. 9).The inside of the ring is, however, formed with a cross-sectionallysoftly rounded bead 25 adapted to engage into a corresponding groove 26on the outside of the collar 7. Both the bead 25 and the groove 26 canadvantageously extend along the major part of the circumference of thelocking ring and the collar, respectively, more precisely up to the slot19 and the tongue 13, respectively. Said bead serves to retain thelocking ring 18 in its clamping position according to FIG. 4.

It should be particularly pointed out that the auxiliary device 1 andthe locking ring 18 are designed as separate units which areinterconnected, after being manufactured separately.

The locking ring 18 may have an inner diameter which is slightly smallerthan the outer diameter of the collar 7. More precisely, the cylindricalinner surface 24 of the locking ring 18 is of a smaller diameter thanthe cylindrical circumferential surface 21 of the collar 7. Thedifference in diameter between these two surfaces may advantageously bein the range 0.3-2.0%, preferably 0.5-1.0%. In practice, the outercircumferential surface 21 of the collar may have a diameter of 64.0 mm,at the same time as the inner cylindrical surface 24 of the locking ring18 has a diameter of 63.0 mm (the locking ring having a wall thicknessof 2.0 mm and a width of 10 mm). It should also be noted that the outercircumferential surface 21 of the collar 7 merges into the externalsurface of the conical wall portion 9 of the auxiliary device via asurface 27 of softly rounded shape.

Function and Advantages of the Invention

When the auxiliary device 1, as illustrated in FIG. 2, is to be snappedon to the can 2, the locking ring 18 is pivoted to an upper position inwhich the gripping tongue 22 is spaced from the collar 7. The collar 7of the auxiliary device may have a comparatively loose or wide fitrelative to the annular element 5 of the can, whereby the auxiliarydevice can smoothly and easily be snapped on to the can, withoutapplying any considerable force. After completing the snapping-onoperation, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the locking ring 18 is pivoteddownwards in the direction of the arrow, while the connection which isformed by the tongue 13 and the slot 19 serves as a hinge between thelocking ring and the auxiliary device. The downward pivoting is effectedby using a finger to press the tongue 22. When the locking ring has beenpivoted in this manner to the position shown in FIG. 4, it will, havingfirst passed the softly rounded transition surface 27, be forced pastthe annular element 5 and then, finally, its internal bead 25 willengage into the groove 26 on the outside of the collar. Since thelocking ring has an inner diameter which is smaller than the outerdiameter of the collar, it will, in this state, clamp the collar to theupper end portion of the can such that the shoulder 28 (see FIG. 9)positioned below the internal groove 17 of the collar is firmly pressedunder the annular element 5, although initially the collar had arelatively loose fit relative to the annular element. In the positionillustrated in FIG. 4, the auxiliary device is thus retained very firmlyand reliably, which implies that it cannot be unintentionally detachedowing to any high excess pressure arising in the common interior of thecan and the auxiliary device or owing to any unintentional mechanicaldamage caused to the auxiliary device.

When, after emptying the contents of the can, the auxiliary device 1should be intentionally detached from the can, the locking ring 18 ispivoted back to its initial position shown in FIG. 3 by applying apressure to the lower side of the tongue 22. When the locking ring hasin this manner been returned to its initial position, the auxiliarydevice may readily be detached from the can owing to its still loose fitrelative to the can.

Possible Modifications of the Invention

The invention is, of course, not restricted to the embodiment describedabove and shown in the drawings. Thus, the locking ring function ofclamping the collar to the end portion of the can be accomplished invarious ways. In the embodiment shown, the inner surface 24 of the ringis of a smaller diameter than the corresponding outer circumferentialsurface 21 of the collar, at the same time as the cross-sectional areaof the bead 25 and that of the groove 26 are of essentially the samesize. However, it is possible to design the actual bead 25 with asmaller minimum diameter than the minimum diameter of the groove, at thesame time as the cylindrical annular surface 24 is of a diameter whichis as great as or even greater than the outer diameter of thecircumferential surface 21 of the collar. In the embodiment illustrated,the bead 25 is intended to extend continuously along the major part ofthe circumference of the locking ring. It is, however, also possible touse, instead of a continuous bead, a number of spaced-apart knobs orprojections protruding from the locking ring inside and jointlyeffecting the clamping action of the locking ring. Instead of arrangingthe groove 26 in the collar and the bead 25 on the locking ring, it isof course also possible to arrange the bead on the outside of the collarand the groove on the inside of the locking ring. It is also possible tospare every combination of engaging beads and grooves, the locking ringbeing retained in some other manner, e.g. by means of a projectingflange on the lower part of the collar should also be pointed out thatowing to the connection formed by the tongue 13 and the slot 19, thelocking ring and the auxiliary device will always accompany each othersuch that the locking ring is always safely available in conjunctionwith the snapping-on of the auxiliary device to the can.

We claim:
 1. Auxiliary device suitable for sealing cans for beverageshaving on an end wall a disposable opener mechanism, the auxiliarydevice including a tubular element tapering from a comparatively widecollar to a narrower spout portion and which, adjacent the collar,includes means for snapping the auxiliary device onto the opening end ofthe can, said spout portion, including means for permitting both closingand opening of said spout portion as desired, characterized in that alocking ring cooperates with said collar for clamping the collar to saidend wall, the locking ring being connected to the auxiliary device by aconnection comprising a tongue projecting from the outside of saidcollar and a slot formed in the locking ring and into which said tongueengages, the connection permitting pivoting of the ring between lockingand unlocking positions.
 2. Auxiliary device as claimed in claim 1,characterized in that one side of said tongue is formed with aprojection spaced from said collar and serving to counteractdisplacement of the locking ring relative to the tongue.
 3. Auxiliarydevice as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the locking ring ismade of an elastically yieldable material and has, when free of tension,an inner diameter which is smaller than the outer diameter of saidcollar.
 4. Auxiliary device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in thatthe inside of said locking ring is formed with a bead for engaging intoa groove on the outside of said collar.
 5. Auxiliary device as claimedin claim 4, characterized in that the groove receiving said bead ispositioned on a level below an abutment which is arranged on the insideof said collar and determines the vertical position of said collarrelative to said can.
 6. Auxiliary device as claimed in claim 4,characterized in that the groove extends along a major part of thecircumference of said collar, at the same side as said bead extendsalong a major part of the circumference of said locking ring. 7.Auxiliary device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that atransition surface extends between the tapering portion of saidauxiliary device and the outside of said collar and which transitionsurface is slightly rounded.
 8. Auxiliary device as claimed in claim 5,characterized in that the groove extends along a major part of thecircumference of said collar, at the same side as said bead extendsalong a major part of the circumference of said locking ring. 9.Auxiliary device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that saidlocking ring is made of an elastically yieldable material and has, whenfree of tension, an inner diameter which is smaller than the outerdiameter of said collar.